Keisha Harper was selected as the recipient for the 2011 Ken Wicks Kau Chamber of Commerce Scholarship. Her essay is titled:

New Ways To A Better Environment

The environment is bad. It’s the unusual amounts of natural disasters that have recently been occurring. It’s the thinning of the ozone. It’s the overuse of fossil fuels. It’s the obscene trash island that has formed. It’s everything and it’s everywhere. Our natural resources have been used up, and going “green” is a little more expensive for small communities, such as Kau. What the environment needs is dedicated scientists and engineers.

There are many scientists and engineers already out there. But there could never be too many, just like a cat can never take too many naps in a day. New scientists and engineers bring fresh minds, new ideas, stronger support, and more heart. I want to be part of those engineers who are dedicated to ending this ongoing battle with pollution and natural disasters.

Science has potential. After all of the inventions and all of the discoveries, after everything science has done for us, it still only has potential. I say this because the capabilities of science are endless. Scientists work day in and day out trying to discover new compounds and trying to figure out a way to mend what’s been broken. Yet, they never stop. The learning never stops, just as the trying never stops.

These are the people who can create eco-friendly and cost-friendly products. These are the people who can figure out a way to fix the ozone and limit the use of CO2. These are the people we need. However, once they figure out what can be done, they need the people who can make it happen. Engineers are more than designers, they are creators. When the scientists come up with an idea, there are engineers right there to start designing that idea. This type of teamwork is necessary when discovering a new way to do something, such as restore the ozone layer. Scientists and engineers go hand in hand. If we want to help the Earth, we start there.

That’s me. That’s what I want to do. I want to be a part of the team that creates new ways to better the environment. That’s what I am going to college for.

Helping better the environment is a great thing for any community, whether it be here in Hawaii or in the coast of Italy. If we could discover a cheap alternative to gasoline, then gas prices go down and the CO2 levels emitted from cars go down as well. If we discover how to discard of all the waste humans produce without tossing it in the ocean, then we would have much less trash washing up on the shores at South Point. There are so many solutions that are just waiting to be discovered to help save and protect the environment.

There are many other ways to help the community of Kau. I believe the environment is the best place to start, especially since that’s what I want to go to college for. We have taken so much from our aina, now it’s time for us to give back.